Rooney fumed after supporters questioned his withdrawal from Roy Hodgson's squad at the start of the week.

The 27-year-old missed Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday after manager David Moyes revealed he suffered a severe gash on his head following an accidental collision with team-mate Phil Jones in training.

Moyes also stated his belief that Rooney would not be recovered in time to join up with his England colleagues ahead of the qualifying double-header against Moldova and Ukraine.

Rooney posted a picture of his injury on his official Facebook page on Wednesday evening with a comment defending his decision to withdraw from the crucial fixtures.

"Some people seem to be questioning my commitment to the England squad and the fact I had to pull out of the two games," he wrote.

"There's nothing I would like more than to be helping the lads in the qualifiers. I'm sure people will see from these images the reason why I won't be able to play."

England team-mate Theo Walcott had yesterday described the wound as "like something out of a horror film".

England go into the clashes with Moldova and Ukraine currently two points behind group-leaders Montenegro but with a game in hand.

Rooney, the subject of bids from Chelsea in the transfer window, remained a United player when the window closed.

But the injury means Rooney, who has scored 36 goals in 84 England caps, will be missing for up to a month with the onus on goals in the qualifiers falling on the likes of team-mate Danny Welbeck and Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge.

Readers' Comments

I

t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.